A Ballad of Ashes and Embers
by jazzywazzy08
Summary: Long ago, in a time forgotten, a scorned sorceress queen barters her daughter to win back her throne. The resulting marriage between the first known hybrid and the last of the most powerful bloodline of enchantresses ever in existence becomes the key to restoring the ways of old and bringing back the balance that his creation destroyed.
1. An Alliance of the Fallen

**Title:** A Ballad of Ashes and Embers

 **Rating:** M

 **Genre:** Alternate Universe/Alternate History

 **Pairing(s):** Bonnie/Klaus, Stefan/Emily, Elijah/Katherine, Katherine/Lucy, Elijah/Lucy, Lucy/Elijah/Katherine, Tyler/Elena, Rebekah/Kol, Rebekah/Damon, ect.

 **Summary:** Long ago, in a time forgotten, a scorned sorceress queen barters her daughter to win back her throne. The resulting marriage between the first known hybrid and the last of the most powerful bloodline of enchantresses ever in existence becomes the key to restoring the ways of old and bringing back the balance that his creation destroyed.

 **Klonnie Appreciation Week Theme:** Free For All (Day Seven)

 **Warnings:** Violence, Torture, Character Death, Sexual Content, Incest, OCC-ness, etc.

 **An Alliance of the Fallen**

" _Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word."_

― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

 **The Werewolf Land and Isles, Sprit's Haven**

Her mother held the gown up for her inspection. "This is beauty," she whispered, "Touch it. Go on. Caress the fabric."

Bonnie reached a hesitant hand out and ran the tips of her fingers down the front of the dress. The cloth was smooth and soft. It reminded her of the feathers that she used to float around her room when she was learning the art of levitation. "Is it really mine?"

A nod and a smile. Her mother smiling was a rare thing. The corners of her mouth were almost perpetually turned downward. Even as her lips lifted upward Bonnie was able to see the frown lines in the corner of her mouth. "A gift from Master Martin," Abby said, "The plum color will bring out the green in your eyes. You shall have gold and jewels as well. Tonight you must look like a princess and not a destitute pauper."

Bonnie had never truly known what it was to be a princess, though she was one by both blood and name. "Have you ever thought that he is so generous to us for a reason?" Bonnie asked, cautiously, "That perhaps he has other motives outside of kindness."

They had been imposing on Jonas Martin and his kindness for half a year now. Living among him and his children. Eating his food, showered with gifts and affection. Given access to his servants and all of his magical stores. Grimoires older than Bonnie and Abby alike gifted to them as if they were mere pieces of paper and not books that held the secrets of not just his line but the dark and light arts alike. Bonnie was sixteen, and old enough to know the rarity of which such things were given without expecting anything in return.

"There are times when Jonas can pass as a smart man," Abby shrugged. She tossed her dark hair over her shoulders the soft waves similar to Bonnie's own. Bonnie's was longer however, and darker, and her stature was much shorter and slighter than her mother's. Abby paced before her, her brown eyes crazed. "There are not many of us left that are of the old ways," Abby continued, "The warlock knows that I will not forget his kindness once I come into my throne and he will have his place when the witch is returned to the top of the food chain."

Bonnie remained silent, her expression blank. Master Martin was a dealer in potions, spells, and held the secrets to cutting all sorts of magical corners. He knew how to work around the Spirits that no one seemed to believe in anymore, even as he lived on their grounds, protected from the vampire infested world outside. He had friends that were loyal to all houses, but he never revealed anyone's secrets, including theirs; and he never made his own loyalties known.

Bonnie had always been suspicious of him. He always looked to be plotting. But she knew better that to question her mother. Though, her mother cared for her, she cared about herself more. Cared about her throne more.

"When Jonas sends the omegas to bathe you be sure they do well," Abby commanded, "You smell of outside. We have a connection to nature not a duty to take on its odor. All that time you spend in the gardens digging around in the dirt, you will fit right in with the _lupos_. But you must remember my child, just because the Alpha lives among wolves does not mean he wishes to bed one."

Bonnie cringed, but nodded slightly. She had long grown used to keeping her thoughts and feelings hidden beneath the surface. They did not matter. Only the family name did. Only vengeance for their line. Only the spilled blood of their ancestors. Only her mother's reign.

"You are doing your mother a great service and I know that you will not fail me," Abby touched her hair in a gesture of mock affection, "When they write the history of my reign, my loyal little one, they will say that it began tonight."

When finally she was gone, Bonnie exhaled, feeling as if finally she was free to breathe. Bonnie walked over to the window and looked outside toward the gardens. She could see Master Martin's son and daughter resurrecting the flowers that were dying with whispered spells and smelling the ones in full bloom.

When they had first arrived, Bonnie had thought that Jonas had designs for her and his son Luka. She had soon learned different. Her mother had her own designs and she would soon be not just a wife, but mate. For wolves mated. And the _Lupos_ lived as wolves. Acted as a pack. Moved with one mind. Operated on the pack imperative and soon she would be their Beta.

The union was a means to an end. A tool in her mother's plans to take back Mystic Landing. She never called it that. "Our land," she called it. Over and over again she said the words as if were she to say them enough, the Spirits would make it so. "Ours by blood right, taken from us in treachery, but ours and ours forever. They thought that all witches could be killed with fire but Bennetts do not die when burned. We rise from the ashes, reborn like the phoenix. There is power in the phoenix, Bonnie, magic in every part. Even in its tears."

While her mother remembered their reign, Bonnie could not. These stories were nothing but stories to her. She had been a child of two when they had fled Mystic Landing, to escape the advancing armies of the Usurper. They had been among the first vampires, created by a witch, a sickening betrayal to the Spirits, and unable to be killed.

At times Bonnie imagined what it have been like. The midnight flee toward the ship that would lead them across the sea whose waters were still to this day stained with the blood of the witches that had been slain. Their magic making the waters remember. Her father a mere mortal battling the Usurper and dying for the woman he loved. The wings of the last phoenixes clipped and broken as they were chained as they could not be killed. The magical birds erupting into flames, leaving only ashes behind. They were still out there somewhere, her mother claimed, alive and thriving. Waiting in the shadows for their mothers, their witches to come for them.

Her grandmother had never made it on the ship. She had carried Bonnie just to the shore, stroking her hair and soothing her infant cries, whispering words of love and goodbyes. She had shoved Bonnie into Abby's arms and forced them onto the ship. She had turned and fought the fleet that came for them singlehandedly to make sure that they had made it across the sea. She had died for them, for Bonnie, and Abby had never forgiven Bonnie for it.

They had run and kept running. Drifting from isle to isle. Finding sanctuary in wolf territory and finally in Spirit's Haven where the temples dedicated to the witches that had moved on now laid in neglected ruins and the statue of their mother goddess Qetsiyah barely remained standing. They had found a home with the Martins and Bonnie had never known any other.

Through the wandering Bonnie knew that her mother's aim was not as simple as she made it seem. Those that had sheltered them through the years were now less welcoming. Their reign had all but been forgotten and no one had heard the cry of the phoenix in some time. "The beggar queen," her mother was called and still she remained focused on nothing but the return of her crown.

Bonnie started at the sound of a knock on the door. She called for the intruders to enter and watched as three young girls scuttled inside. The _omegas_ , the lowliest members of the pack and made to serve. Bonnie was beginning to get herself familiar with the pack hierarchy at her mother's insistence. The _alpha_ stood at the top of the helm, the _beta_ , the second at his side. Then the _delta_ , acting as enforcer. Then came the _sentinel, elders, hunters, scouts_ , and lastly the _omegas_ and _pups_.

"You may not be a wolf but you must live like one so it is best to know their ways," her mother had told her, "When a wolf mates, it mates for life. Once gone into this union can never be broken. The sooner you accept your new role the better."

The omegas took their time preparing Bonnie to be presented to their alpha. Bathing her in perfume scented water, dressing her, adorning her hair with ornaments and silk ribbons. All the while they told her of his virtues. Praised Alpha Niklaus and praised her at her choice in husband. As if it were a choice.

He was loyal. He was strong. He was powerful. They said. He was tall, fierce and fearless in battle. They spoke of the size of his palace. Spoke of his talents as a swordsman and his eye for beauty.

Then it came to the point where she was left with one. A girl with dark hair and olive skin. Her face to Bonnie, seemed much too hard to be so lowly in the rank of the clan. "You should not be afraid," the girl said, "The alpha has respect for your kind. He owes them his life."

Bonnie met the girl's gaze, interested in what she might say. She did not know much about her future husband that was of substance. She had heard only superficial things and of what his army could give her mother. "What is your name and what do you know?"

The girl seemed startled that someone would ask her something as personal as her name and perhaps she was. "Hayley," she whispered, sounding as if she had not said the name in a long time, "My name is Hayley and I know the origins of the alpha. All that enter into the clan must learn them."

"Will you tell me?" Bonnie knew that she was taking a risk but she could not help her curiosity. She had no choice but to marry a stranger, but this way he would not remain one. She could piece him together bit by bit. Trick herself into thinking that she was not walking into the unknown, blind and without a lick of light in sight.

"There is a reason that your mother chose him," Hayley said, her voice low as if she suspected at any moment someone could hear, "He is the bastard son of the Usurper's wife. Born to the witch whose husband now sits on your mother's throne and a wolf, a servant. The Usurper did not discover his wife's faithlessness until after the death of his youngest son caused him to commission her to make their children what they are now, vampires. The same vampires that created more of their kind and used their alliances and armies to destroy your house."

"If my mother knows this," Bonnie interrupted, "Why would she wish to align with him?"

"Please, beta," Hayley soothed, softly, "Allow me to finish." Already they were treating her as his mate and the wedding had not yet occurred. "The first victim that the alpha took as a vampire revealed his true nature, the nature of the wolf, and it also revealed his mother's betrayal. The Usurper planned to have his wife use magic to tamper down the wolf inside but the alpha ran. Fled across the Bloody Sea before it held the name. Five years before your arrival here with your mother as a child. It was the spirits that guided him here and told him that he would find shelter among wolves. He joined the clan and became their brother and eventually their leader, all the while vowing revenge. But even as he claimed this island and the surrounding isles for the wolves he left Spirit's Haven untouched out of respect for the spirits that guided him."

Bonnie understood then. Her mother and the alpha wanted the same thing, the Usurper off the throne, though for vastly different reasons.

Bonnie listened intently as the girl continued to prepare her. She placed gold bracelets on Bonnie's wrists and she continued her tale. "He knows your language," she said, "The language in which the spirits whisper and the witches recite their spells. He respects the old ways because he knows that is what saved him. The wolves may be our gods but the spirits are our guides and as you are their daughter you will be welcomed among our people. That is the reason that he plans to take you to the temple so that your union may be blessed."

Bonnie's eyes widened in surprise. It was well known by those who possessed magic that if a union of souls, which was what witches saw marriage as, was not approved by the spirits then it would likely have a tragic end. Her mother's marriage had not been approved but she had loved her father and so she had married him anyway. This had been their end. "Because he is what he is," Bonnie said, carefully, "They may not wish to allow it."

"If they do not," Hayley told her, "Then the marriage will not occur. He respects the old ways too much to ignore the spirits when they give a warning."

There was a chance then, Bonnie thought, that she could be free. Free from the jewels and the gown and the bracelets that suddenly felt like shackles around her wrists. She doubted her mother knew of the alpha's plans. Of the temple. She would have been livid if she had. There was close to no chance of the spirits approving, but then again, there should not have been a chance of them guiding him at all and then there was the fact that he did have the blood of a witch. Even if she was a traitor she was a witch all the same.

"Now you look like a princess," Hayley said, regaining Bonnie's attention. Bonnie looked at herself in the looking glass before her and did not recognize the person staring back at her. This lifeless being that was decorated and ready to be put out on display.

She was led through the Martin home and out into the courtyard. After her mother inspected her and she was found wanting Bonnie once again hoped that the spirits would not allow the marriage. "We are lucky," her mother said, as they got into Master Martin's ornately carved palanquin, "That a wolf will eat whatever meat is placed before him."

"Perhaps you should keep your delightful musings to yourself, my queen," Jonas commented as he joined them, "As amusing as I find them to be I doubt the alpha will find them so. He has a temper I hear. I'm sure once you once again retain your crown you may speak more freely and your candor might even be appreciated."

Bonnie was relieved that he had momentarily silenced her mother but she kept her expression neutral as Master Martin clapped his hands for the bearers to take their places. Bonnie frowned as she saw Hayley and the other omegas among them.

"They are used to taking the brute of the work," Jonas told her, "It is their place, and even if it were not there is a reason why many do not see werewolves as humans, princess. Their physical strength is far superior to our own."

As the palanquin was lifted, remaining steady and they began to move without pause, Bonnie found that she believed him.

During the ride, Bonnie was silent as death as her mother and Master Martin spoke of her mother's plans. "Everything seems to be going too perfectly," Abby said, "Even what I have not planed seems to be going in my favor. I heard the omegas whispering. It would seem that the Alpha Niklaus has never shown interest in any wolves. That he has always said that he would take a witch as his bride."

"He claims the spirits said it would be so," Jonas grinned, "That he would marry one of their own and that was why he was led to the haven when he first arrived."

"The spirits do not speak to wolves," Abby stated, matter-of-factly, "Especially wolves that are half vampire."

"They might," Bonnie commented, without thought, "If that wolf also had the blood of a witch, even if she is a traitor against her kind."

Abby turned on her, eyes narrowed. "Who told you that?"

Bonnie swallowed, knowing all too well what it was like to be on the other end of her mother's anger. "As you said, my queen," Jonas cut in, "The omegas were whispering. I suppose she heard something amidst the not so quiet words."

"Perhaps," Abby nodded.

Bonnie smiled her thanks at him and he nodded. The conversation turned toward her mother's suspicions that they were being followed. It was known that the vampires stayed clear of the werewolf lands, as one bite from a wolf could cause them death, and so Bonnie was not sure that her mother was right about the Usurper having knives following them. Then again, though vampires feared the wolves, witches did not, and the Usurper used his wife to regulate the magic of the witches that still dwelled in the land that he now had power over. He could always send a witch for them Abby reasoned.

"It matters not," Jonas said, "Anyone who knows the ways of old knows that one cannot kill a phoenix."

Her mother nodded proudly but Bonnie sighed. Perhaps her grandmother was not lesson enough to teach Abby that that was not always the case.

The palanquin slowed and stopped. Abby frowned as the curtains were thrown back. It was too soon for them to stop. Bonnie watched as her mother glanced around them and she noted the moment that she realized where they were. The ruined temple of the spirits.

An omega moved forward to help Bonnie out. She took his hand and listened to her mother and Master Martin whispering behind them.

"What are we doing here?" Abby hissed lowly.

"He is obviously showing respect for the old ways," Jonas whispered back, "Seeking the blessing of the spirits for the union."

A pause. "The spirits will never give such a blessing," Abby spat, "Their daughter and the last of the Bennett line wed to an abomination. If he refuses when they reject them then we have no army. If we have no army then we have no means to fight."

"If the spirits wish to see a Bennett on the throne," Jonas said, his tone pacifying, "They will give their blessing."

"Then we have nothing to worry about," Abby said as she took the hand of the omega as it was offered to her a moment later. Jonas followed them, coming up to stand in between them, one hand on the small of Abby's back and one hand wrapped around his sword hilt.

They were led through the stone and rumble. Unconsciously they stopped and bowed to the statue of Qetsiyah that was barely standing in front of the temple. Members of Alpha Niklaus's clan spilled out of the run down temple. They parted to make way for them and Bonnie noted the varying expressions of awe as they stared in her direction, their eyes holding a feral animalistic quality.

Three men stood at the temple's altar, their backs toward them. Still Jonas was able to identify them just the same. "The one on the far right is the delta," he said, "Mason of the house Lockwood. He was driven out of his family and stripped of his birthright after he killed and fell victim to the werewolf curse. He was the first in ten generations to phase. Before him the werewolf gene that plagued their family was a well-kept secret. Now the new heir, his nephew, may never find a bride as werewolves are not accepted in many places outside of _lupos terrae_. The line will now likely end with him."

He gestured with his head toward the man on the other end. "The shorter man there with the dark curly hair is Sir Atticus Shane," Jonas said.

Bonnie eyed the man curiously. "A knight?" She leaned in to whisper.

He nodded. "Formerly," he revealed, "He attempted to kill the Usurper and now the man wants his head. The assassination attempt though foolish has an honorable motive. His wife had attempted to resurrect their deceased son using very dark magic. She was killed for it and he sought revenge and achieved nothing but having a price placed on his head."

Bonnie studied the knight. He had a weak look about him and was shorter than many of the other men and wolves there. He stood with his shoulders slumped but there was something quietly strong about him that kept him from seeming vulnerable.

"And in the middle, little princess," Jonas whispered, "Is the alpha himself."

Bonnie swallowed, her throat growing dry. She froze suddenly feeling the urge to run, but her mother reached around Jonas and gripped her arm, nails digging into her skin propelling her forward.

Bonnie looked at him as he turned toward her. His was tall and though his hair and his skin were light it did little to make him seem less intimidating. His cobalt eyes were cold and empty aside from a sort of savage undertone that made Bonnie flinch. She could see it as he stepped forward, toward them. The wolf laying just behind the surface. He moved with a sort of animal grace, his lips set in a hard line. Prowling, that was the mental name that Bonnie placed on it.

The tunic he wore exposed his arms and Bonnie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she saw the ink black lines that made up the design of tattoos that went down his arms like sleeves. "When the wolves win in combat they are marked with a symbol that showcases their victory," Jonas whispered, causing Bonnie to look around and note the marks on some of the other clan members, "The alpha has never lost a fight. He is the strongest supernatural being that has ever existed outside of the women of your line and you will be his queen."

She did not want to be his queen. She felt the tears sting her eyes as she silently prayed that the spirits would spare her.

Abby's nails dug harder into her arm. "Not a tear," she hissed lowly into Bonnie's ear, "Smile and stand up straight."

Bonnie did as she was told and moved forward. She bit her lip and blinked the tears away before they could fall.

She met the alpha half way and she looked at his hand as he held it out for her. She took it as her mother's finger prodded her in the back. She was surprised at the gentleness of the grip as his hard fingers wrapped around her small hand, but the rest of him remained unyielding as he led her to the altar that had seen sacrifices of many kinds for spirits in times long past.

Bonnie looked up at the night through the cracks of the ceiling. She could already hear the voices of those who had come before her echoing in her head.

As they stopped in front of the stone structure she watched as the alpha pulled a dagger from the sheath at his side. Letting go of her hand he took the sharp silver blade and dragged it across his palm until he drew blood. Blood, the purest of offerings. He did know their ways.

He held out his palm and blood dripped from the wound until it healed itself. Then he turned toward her, holding out his hand palm up.

Knowing what was needed, Bonnie glanced toward her mother, before placing her hand palm up atop his. She looked away, shutting her eyes tightly as he cut into her palm the same way in which he had his own. The cut stung and she could not help the small whimper that escaped her lips.

When he was done she held her own hand over the alter allowing the blood to flow and mingle with his. After a moment, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and Bonnie glanced up at him in confusion before she realized he was about to bind up her wound.

She shook her head slightly as he reached for her hand. He frowned but she raised it up for his inspection and he watched as she healed the wound with her own magic. An emotion came into his eyes then, something so close to awe that made it Bonnie's breath catch but it was gone just as quickly.

He turned to face the altar and Bonnie did the same. He grabbed her hand again, his grip still soft, almost hesitant, and together they intoned the incantation. " _Beatus, qui in istis quaerere consilio tuo."_

Silence fell as they waited for an answer. The crowd in the room stood frozen, still. Bonnie had an urge to take her hand away from his but knew what it would look like. No answer would be a better sign than a rejection and that was what she was afraid of.

Just as she thought there would be no guidance to be found the altar erupted in flames. Those closest to them stepped back emitting various sounds of alarm. However, the alpha stood his ground. Bonnie stayed still as well. Fire had never scared her and flames were never a bad omen for a Bennett witch, in fact it was the very opposite, and that was why she frowned.

The voices in her head whispered of greatness. Power. Balance. The flames died down and left a pile of ashes in their wake. Amid the ashes sat two rings, simple golden bands, one with a wolf engraved on the surface and the other with a phoenix. As everyone around them gasped, Bonnie's eyes widened in horror. The marriage had not only been blessed, it had been sanctioned.

As her future husband, for that was what he was, let go of her hand and kneeled down to retrieve the rings, Bonnie wondered how this could have happened. The spirits never did anything without reason. But when Niklaus slipped the ring onto Bonnie's finger and then put on his own, she could not think of one that would be of her benefit.

He laced his fingers through hers once more and as he turned to face the others in the temple she was forced to turn with him. He lifted their joined hands in the air and they were met with his clans' barbaric shouts of jubilation.

Bonnie looked up at her mother whose face was smug and whose mouth was turned up in a twisted sort of grin. She glanced at Jonas and at his nod, she stood up straight once more and smiled.


	2. The Threat to the Reign

**Title:** A Ballad of Ashes and Embers

 **Rating:** M

 **Genre:** Alternate Universe/Alternate History

 **Pairing(s):** Bonnie/Klaus, Stefan/Emily, Elijah/Katherine, Katherine/Lucy, Elijah/Lucy, Lucy/Elijah/Katherine, Tyler/Elena, Rebekah/Kol, Rebekah/Damon, ect.

 **Summary:** Long ago, in a time forgotten, a scorned sorceress queen barters her daughter to win back her throne. The resulting marriage between the first known hybrid and the last of the most powerful bloodline of enchantresses ever in existence becomes the key to restoring the ways of old and bringing back the balance that his creation destroyed.

 **Klonnie Appreciation Week Theme:** Free For All (Day Seven)

 **Warnings:** Violence, Torture, Character Death, Sexual Content, Incest, OCC-ness, etc.

 **The Threat to the Reign**

" _Tears aren't a woman's only weapon."_

― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

 _ **The Werewolf Land and Isles, Lupos Palace**_

The night before the wedding was to take place Bonnie's sleep was a fitful one. She dreamed of dying by her mother's hands. Struck down by her powers, her body bruised, bloodied, and broken. Then after she was done her mother set her body aflame.

Bonnie didn't feel the fire as her limbs burned. The flames licked her skin with a light touch even as they engulfed her and reduced her to ashes.

Her mother looked down at her, her expression smug. But then the ashes spread apart revealing Bonnie in a new form. Her hair was longer, wilder. She wore wolf skins like the _lupos._ Her arms were covered in tribal tattoos. She sat up straight and looked beyond her mother's face toward a yellow eyed wolf standing just behind her.

Her mother moved to strike out at her again but the wolf was faster and pounced on her. The wolf's jaws opened and its teeth tore into her mother's flesh. It ripped her apart, teeth gnashing and blood spewing.

Her mother was an unrecognizable pile of flesh when it was over and the disembodied witch erupted in flames, Bonnie stood stock still and waited for the flames to die. When there was nothing left but ashes her mother did not rise.

When Bonnie awoke she was fitted for her wedding silks. Her mother supervised as the omegas draped the white cloth over her skin.

"You must look like a lamb ripe for the slaughter," Abby told her, "So that the wolf may have his hunt."

Jonas stood behind her and surveyed the women working as well. Bonnie felt exposed. As if she was being laid bare, the silks the only thing separating her nude body from the outside world. Her long hair was styled half up and half down, pearls threaded into the dark strands.

Bonnie watched as her mother left the room that the alpha had given her to make use of for the night, her own sky blue dress trailing behind her. She had never seen her mother look so happy. Then again, she had a reason to be so.

Jonas remained as the omegas scuttled away, their work finally done. He placed his hands on Bonnie's shoulders and led her toward the looking glass. "You are exquisite," he whispered, "He will worship you. They all will. While you have your mother's beauty you also have what she lacks. Kindness. Loyalty. A willingness to accept those different from yourself. An inner strength that cannot be broken. And now you will have a husband whose army will follow you like a pack of stray dogs and tear the world down at your whim."

Bonnie was floored by his words. He was kind to her, always had been. But these words were different. Not even her mother received those words and it was she who was after the throne.

Jonas reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace on a white silver chain. A phoenix pendant hung from the end, its tail wrapped around a stone the color of fire. "This was your grandmother's," he whispered, "If not for her I would have nothing."

He gently brushed her hair aside and placed the necklace around her neck. The phoenix fell between her breasts the chain hanging low, and the weight of it bringing her comfort. She felt suddenly calm.

"Her spirit lies within the stone," he told her, "It has guided me in all things and now it will guide you." There was a pause and his eyes narrowed slightly. "You should know that a Bennett was not meant to reclaim the throne," Jonas revealed, "Not with her name alone. She would be a Bennett with the name of a wolf. The last of her line and with an army of her kind, her husband's kind, and the Usurper's kind alike. And she would be the greatest ruler ever known and her reign never ending."

Bonnie frowned. "I do not understand," she said. But she did. She understood he spoke of her but the throne was her mother's aim, always had been. Then again, in this land Niklaus was king and so in marrying him she would be queen. If she ruled at his side, the army would be hers even if it was used to do her mother's bidding.

And the spirits had spoken of greatness. And Jonas had before made a point to say that they wanted a Bennett on the throne to his mother, but he never said which Bennett.

"You may not understand now but you will," Jonas said, placing a kiss atop her head, "The alpha will make a good husband, you need not fear. You are where you are meant to be, my queen, and those here are already loyal to you. When you sit upon the throne, my debt to your grandmother will be paid."

When he said, 'my queen', to her mother the words always seemed to be in jest. They seemed on the verge of sarcasm and were said in a tone that one would use to placate a child. However, as he said them to Bonnie, there was respect there, and reverence.

She had never thought about being queen. She had barely enough thanks to his generosity to call herself a princess. But he was right, she would be queen by name. She just prayed her mother never found out about the talk of her being destined to reign. "Make sure my mother hears none of this," she said, testing her power over him.

He bowed lowly and nodded. "I have kept your secret thus far, my queen," he said, "If you wish it, I will take it to the grave."

It seemed that she now knew where his loyalties lied.

 **:::**

 _ **Crow's Arc, The Castle of House Salvatore**_

Rebekah Mikaelson looked out of the window of the carriage at the fleet of crows that swarmed the sky. There were so many that the blue up above almost looked black. Their calls were loud and unceasing and Rebekah flinched as one of the birds shot toward her. She ducked into the carriage just in time and the bird hit the curtain as it closed.

They were close to the castle but with the birds flying about it could hardly be seen. It mattered not. It would look like nothing in comparison to their own.

The Salvatore had been among the first families that they had changed after they had transitioned to what they were now. Though the father, and a few others remained human, kept alive and young using enchantments sustained by enslaved witches; the brothers, Damon and Stefan, were the most loyal of all of the vampires and it had been them that had ridden at her father's side when he had taken the throne from the Bennett witches and ended the reign of the phoenix.

They were at Castle Salvatore to prepare for war in a different manner, through the union of their families. There were rumors that the last of the Bennett line still lived. Though the spirits did not speak to her mother any longer, because of her betrayal of the Bennetts they had managed to torture a few of the witches still in their lands out of the barest amount of information. They knew only two things. The last of the line still lived and if the Bennett's reclaimed the throne their reign would never end again.

They did not know how or when but it was inevitable that the last of the line would come for them and reclaim her birthright. That was the reason that they were forming unions where they could and as Rebekah was the only daughter it was her who was put up for sale to the Salvatore, a family full of men.

She started slightly as a hand claimed her free one. Turning she faced her brother who sat beside her. They each wore black, lined with silver. They were mourning, Kol had said when they had dressed for the journey, the loss of their father's sanity and Rebekah's freedom.

"Remember we have come because we are in talks with the Salvatore," Kol leaned down to whisper into her ear, "Only talks. He will likely draw them out at the very least until we are sure that the last of the Bennett line really lives, and by which means she will strike. The threat to the throne has him on edge but he also likes things within his control. He would not be so quick to sell you to the highest bidder as it would mean that you would be out of his sight."

Rebekah nodded stiffly, though his words were of little comfort. She gripped his hand tightly and squeezed. "It is a pity that there are no females among the Salvatore," she commented, in an attempt at humor though she found no amusement in her present predicament, "Then Elijah could exercise his constant nobility and offer himself as a way to unite the houses."

Kol smirked but said nothing. They were riding separate from the others. Their parents and brothers in a carriage ahead. They would not be able to speak with such candor once they arrived, nor would they be able to show so much affection.

As far as Rebekah was concerned the lost Bennett princess could have her throne. Ruling had done nothing but shatter her family. Her father had gone mad with power. Elijah and Finn had turned into mindless dutiful drones who followed behind him, though Elijah at least attempted to do right by the people even though his words were always ignored. Her mother's betrayal of her own kind had not ended with dethroning the Bennetts, she now not only policed magic at her father's behest, but she assisted in enslaving the more powerful of the witches as well. Then there was Niklaus who had been betrayed and banished and if she did not know that it was impossible she would think him dead as no one had heard from him since that faithful night his wolf gene had taken hold and he had ran.

Kol was all that she had left. He was the only one besides her who mourned the family they had been and who fought against what they had become. The only one who knew her at all. The only one willing to cross their father if necessary and that was a great feat.

The carriage came to a stop and Rebekah stiffened. She would not admit defeat however, even if her fate was an unwanted one. It mattered not which Salvatore she was offered to as she had no interest in either. Still, tears were for the weak.

Kol lifted their intertwined hands and brought hers up to his lips, kissing the back of it. "Do not worry yourself little sister," he whispered lowly, aware of those with heightened hearing around them that would be able to listen in if they so wanted, "As original vampires we cannot be killed, but the Salvatore are not originals. No matter what unfavorable situation you find yourself in, it will be a temporary one."

She turned toward him, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I can depend on no one else but you," she whispered into his ear.

She pulled away quickly as the coachman opened the door. She imagined the various means of torture that Kol would inflect on whomever was to be her future husband once the threat to their throne was nullified as the man helped her out. The thoughts ensured that when she came out to greet the Salvatore men, she was able to do so with a smile.

:::

 _ **The Werewolf Land and Isles, Lupos Palace**_

Bonnie wed the Alpha Niklaus in barbaric splendor beneath the stars on the grounds surrounding Lupos Palace. As the _lupos_ lived as wolves, all things of importance were to be done beneath the open skies where the wolf roamed.

They said their vows and were blessed by the wolf gods and having already been blessed by the spirits, it was done. Bonnie was surprised that something so life changing could be over and done with in a matter of minutes.

When it was done the feasting began. There was a manner of delicacies that Bonnie had never seen before. Rare cakes and pastries. A variety of spices of which Bonnie had never heard. Lamb and honeyed duck and fruits and vegetables with a wide range of sauces. Had Bonnie not lost her appetite she might have been able to enjoy them.

She sat above the rest, next to Niklaus. She had accepted her fate as his wife and was indifferent toward him and his delta, Mason Lockwood who sat on the other side of her. While she was still intimidated, it was not the _lupos_ that were causing her discomfort. While wild, they were not as inhuman as most thought. Even now they sparred and fought one another like a pack of wild dogs, but it was clear that they were doing so in jest, the pack mentality kept them from causing each other any real harm. They mated for life as her mother had told her and so though some of the drunk among them had taken to coupling in public amidst the others, it wasn't as disturbing a thing as Abby had made it out to be. Even still Bonnie had to look away.

Majority of Bonnie's discomfort was coming from Abby herself. While Niklaus sat silent and stoic as ever at Bonnie's side, the others sat below them. They were offered their food first and the portions they refused were taken down to the others. Her mother glared up at her, eyes narrowed and it was clear that she resented Bonnie's preferred treatment. She could not eat when she was well aware of the tongue lashing she would later receive.

"The food," Mason's deep voice said from the other side of her, "Does it displease you, beta?"

Klaus looked down at her as well at his words and Bonnie frowned. She shook her head as she glanced in between them and then looked rather pointedly at her mother, hoping that she could answer the question without using words.

A hand came down on her shoulder and Bonnie flinched. She turned slowly to face the alpha. Tears sprang into her eyes as she was sure that her husband would chastise her for refusing the food over something so small. She held her breath as he leaned down, a few strands of his blonde hair that had slipped from his long braid falling into his face as he did so, obscuring her view of him slightly.

"No tears," he whispered, his tone surprisingly gentle even as it held authority, "Do not let her intimidate you. She is not queen in this land or the one that was stolen from your family. You are a queen in your own right now. While your birthright is not yet restored to you this land is my land under my rule and therefore it is yours as well. Your place is above her now. Just as the Usurper cannot touch these lands, she cannot touch your crown. Do not fight her jealousy with tears, you have an army now to fight your battles for you. Eat now, love, show your strength."

It was the most words she had ever heard him say at one time. She remembered Jonas's words as well. He had said that the alpha would be a good husband to her and Bonnie was beginning to believe him.

Bonnie looked at him in awe as he brushed away a few of the tears that had escaped before he turned back to his own plate. Squaring her shoulders, Bonnie looked down at her mother once more and slowly she began to eat.

Bonnie felt the alpha kiss the top of her head and some of the nerves that had been plaguing her dissipated.

But her stomach was in knots soon after the feast ended and the giving of the bridal gifts commenced, for she knew what was to come. She received weapons from the clan, ones that Jonas stated were more for her husband than herself so she said the proper refusals, though Klaus accepted all on her behalf save for one sword, stating to her so that no one else could hear that tears and magic should not be her only weapons.

From Jonas she received a horse, her mane and coat a beautiful red color that reminded Bonnie of flames. From her mother, she received a ring that held her family emblem that had once belonged to her. She gave it with reluctance while warning Bonnie that when the time came that she had better please her husband.

The most precious of the gifts came from Niklaus himself. It was a grimoire that had belonged to Bonnie's grandmother. The rest of their family stores had been burned when Mikael had taken the throne but Niklaus had managed to reach into the flames and save the one. The flames had not burned him, it was the first time the spirits had protected him. The story was narrated by Mason as her husband had grown silent again. Still she thanked the alpha, his comment regarding her tears the only thing keeping her from crying as she clutched the book to her chest.

When it came time to leave the gathering, Bonnie gave the grimoire to Jonas to hold, not trusting her mother with it.

Bonnie felt sick and apprehensive as Klaus helped her onto her horse and then got onto his own black stallion. As they road away amongst the cheers Bonnie pretended that she was riding away toward freedom and not to consummate a marriage that she had never wanted.

Even their first night together would be beneath the open skies. They road up toward the cliffs above the palace and Bonnie was grateful that if nothing else the moment would be a private one.

When they came to a stop Bonnie trembled as she was lifted off her horse. She watched as Klaus tied the beasts to a nearby tree and then proceeded to unpack the sack tied to the back of his horse. Blankets made of wolves' fur were laid across the ground and Bonnie suddenly wished that she had bypassed eating altogether.

She looked away as Klaus began to undress. It was not that he repulsed her. She actually found him to be beautiful in a strange way. But she had never been touched or kissed by any man and from what she had seen at the feast, though wolves were not as rough in their mating as her mother had suggested there was an animal quality to it just the same and there was too much candor for her to find anything but apprehension and fear in the possibility of it.

"Come," he said, his voice so soft that she barely recognized it.

She walked toward him, glancing at him only long enough to know where it was so that she could sit before him. He made a gesture toward his hair and Bonnie frowned a moment before she realized what he was asking. She wished that he would speak like before, as she knew that he was capable of it.

She moved to sit behind him, the blanket surprisingly soft beneath her as she began to undo his braid. "The omegas said that you always wanted to marry a witch," she said, more to distract herself from his nudity and what was happening than anything else, "Why is that?"

"Not a witch," he said, "You. It could not be just anyone. It has always been you. You are the one the spirits showed me when I arrived here. Everything that I have done since then has been to prepare myself to have you at my side. From joining the wolves, to ruling them. The spirits promising me you was the reason."

Bonnie swallowed, not knowing how to respond to the declaration. She finished taking down his hair silently. When she was done she scooted away from him and waited.

She looked away once more as he turned and began to undress her. She was afraid of many things in that moment. Afraid of what was happening. Afraid that he would not be pleased with her. Afraid that she would not live up to whatever vision of herself that the spirits had placed in his head.

"You seem different," she said, once again to distract herself, "With me." And he did, even as he removed her silks his touch was gentle. The hard expression was replaced with one of awe with each layer of clothing that he removed. But still that creature under the surface was there in his gaze.

"A wolf has two faces," he whispered, as he pulled the fabric away from her breasts, "The face he wears for his pack, his warriors, and the face he wears for his mate, his beloved. You are the only one that will ever see both."

As he spoke Bonnie had covered her breasts with her hands. By the end of his speech he was gently tugging them away. She allowed it, his words having eased something within her mind. He reached out and touched her hair lightly, undoing it and watching the pearls that had been deftly braided into it fall to the blanket's surface as it came tumbling down. "Beautiful," he murmured.

"How many faces does a beta have?" Bonnie asked softly, as she was eased onto her back.

He hovered over her, drinking her body in with his eyes. For a while she thought that he would not answer. Then he began to touch her, the words spilling out as his hands moved lightly over her body. "She has a face for her people," his said, his tone warm and tender, "And a face for me. I adored them both the moment I laid eyes on them."

She had thought that she had been tied to a monster but it was so clear to her now that he was not that. As his touch became harder she could sense a fierce strength in his hands but she was no longer afraid that he would hurt her. He held her hand his own, brushing her fingers one by one. Traced her lips with his finger tip. Ran his hands through her hair. Traced around her navel, ran a hand down her leg.

Time seemed to pass slowly before finally his hands went to her breasts. He stroked the soft skin them, ran his thumbs over her nipples, pinching them until they stiffened. It wasn't until her back arched and she reached up to him that kissed her. Kissed her with years of pent up want that made her believe that he had in fact been waiting for her.

As he pulled away, he drew her into his lap. Bonnie stared at him, flushed and breathless. He cupped her face in his large hands and his eyes met hers, searching. "No?" he said, and she knew it was a question.

She smiled for the first time in so long not feeling the urge to run. Taking his hand in hers she moved it down to the wetness between her thighs. "Yes," she whispered, as she put his finger inside of her.

 **:::**

 _ **Crow's Arc, The Castle of House Salvatore**_

Damon Salvatore surveyed the king's daughter as she passed before him, for Mikael was only known as the Usurper to those that were disloyal to him and that clung to the old ways. He knew that she would be given to him, for Joseph and Zachariah were mortal, his father detested vampires, and though loyal to the throne, Stefan had too much of a conscious to kill without guilt. Damon was the one true warrior among them, which meant that he was the one true asset among the men of the Salvatore house.

Stefan had not even bothered to show his face for the Mikaelsons arrival. He had been acting rather strange as of late and now that Damon thought about it, he had not seen him since yesterday morning. He had been rambling for weeks about dreaming of fire. Talking of powers he was meant to have, powers that being turned stripped him of, powers that fire would restore to him and that he would use to repent for his betrayal of his own kind. Damon chalked it up to blood deprivation as he was taking to drinking from animals rather than humans.

The only one who listened to his ramblings was the witch they had enslaved, Emily, one of the few that had survived the battle that had taken down House Bennett.

Only five Bennett women had survived and three were enslaved in the most loyal of the houses. Emily was theirs. Ayanna was Mikael's and Lucy belonged to the Petrova. The other two, the last of the line and her mother, had vanished and although many believed them alive, Damon knew they would not survive long in wolf territory no matter their connection to nature. Still the surviving Bennetts waited patiently for the last of their line to come and start some kind of revolution and free them. Idiots the whole lot, even if the girl was alive, Damon doubted that she knew of their existence.

He shook Mikael's hand as the man approached him, wincing slightly as the man inquired about his brother. "He is out on a hunt, my lord," he told him, "You know how he gets when he is off of human blood too long."

"And yet he still tries to abstain," Mikael laughed, "If the guilt is so great then he should drink from vampires as I do."

Damon glanced from the queen, to Elijah and then to Finn. There were stirrings that the king was going mad and Damon supposed that the change in diet was one of the signs. It did not matter to Damon however, once he managed to use his marriage to the daughter to infiltrate the house, he would become king soon enough. "I will suggest as much to him when he returns," Damon smiled.

"Your birds are impressive," Esther commented as she looked up at the large flock of crows that circled them from up above.

"They are more obedient than men and more intimidating as well," Damon said, "If I could use them as a substitute for an army then I would."

Mikael's face closed off and he frowned. "Birds do not substitute for an army," he smirked, "House Bennett can attest to that. Even birds made of fire that supposedly cannot die could not save them, what makes your little flock of crows any different, Salvatore?"

Damon opened his mouth to answer when suddenly there was a strange caw coming from up above, followed by the smell of smoke and burnt flesh. Damon noted the way that the youngest son immediately reached out to shield his sister before he looked up at the sky just as the first crow fell to the ground.

Damon took a step back as he watched crow after crow hit the earth. He searched the skies as he realized that his birds were burnt and smoking. "It can't be," he breathed as he watched a phoenix soaring among them killing them one by one.

He barely noticed as Zach took up his arrows and attempted to shoot the bird down. "They were dead," Finn said, "We killed them all the night of the battle."

"Even after death a phoenix can be reborn, brother," Elijah said, his told surprisingly flat given the situation.

Damon was not sure what to make of the situation. A phoenix had not been seen in so very long. It meant only one thing, House Bennett still thrived. "Joseph," he barked, "Bring Emily to me now."

The man scuttled inside as the birds steady fell and the others took shelter in the doorway of the castle, leaving only he and Mikael amongst the chaos.

When Joseph returned Emily was not with him. "She is gone," he said quickly before Damon could chastise him, "Fled in the night." He held up a piece of parchment. "I found this note in your brother's room. He has gone with her."

Damon cursed under his breath as Mikael glared at him, he knew the look well. "She must have lured him away or kidnapped him," Damon offered as an explanation, "What about the Bennett you have enslaved Mikael. She could explain."

"She fled before we arrived here," Mikael frowned, "Not even a trace left behind."

Suddenly the attack on the crows ceased and the phoenix vanished in a cloud of ashes. Damon frowned as he noted that many of his birds were still alive in the skies. "Why not kill them all?" he asked, though he was relieved that the demon bird had not, "Why not come after us?"

Esther left the shelter of the doorway and came to stand behind them. "Because," she said, hand trembling as she pointed to the dead bodies of the crows, "The phoenix has already delivered its message."

Damon and Mikael looked toward the direction of the fallen birds and both were taken aback by what they saw. The bodies of the crows had fallen in the shape of House Bennett's emblem.

The last of the line lived. Now that Ayanna had fled there was no way to communicate with the spirits as they no longer talked to Esther. They could interrogate hundreds of witch slaves and still they would only know so much. The reign of the phoenix was rising once more and there was not much they could do now aside from prepare and wait. "This is only the beginning," Esther swallowed.

:::

 _ **The Werewolf Land and Isles, Lupos Palace**_

 _There was smoke and there was shadow and when it cleared her grandmother stood before her. She looked much as Bonnie remembered. Beautiful. Poised. Calm. Her expression was loving but stern as she directed Bonnie's gaze to her forearm._

 _Bonnie looked down and her eyes widened at the phoenix feather that now stood out on her skin, red and emblazoned above her wrist._

" _Those with this mark are loyal," her grandmother said, "Those that do not bare cannot be trusted."_

 _She began to fade and Bonnie reached out to her. "There are others of our blood," Sheila said. "Others that still thrive. Find them. They will help you."_

 _Then she vanished and Bonnie was left to stand alone._

When Bonnie awoke from the dream it took her a moment to realize where she was. When they had come down from the cliffs the night before, everything was quiet as if the festivities had never occurred. She and her husband had bathed and had then joined each other in bed. She had not seen her mother.

As her eyes blinked open she looked at her wrist to find that the feather was indeed there. Reaching over to shake Klaus awake, she told him of the dream. He believed her without question and before Bonnie could process what he was doing, he was out of bed and dressing.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked as she climbed out of bed, her nightgown trailing behind her on the floor.

"First I will check those closest to me for the mark and then we will check the rest," Klaus said, the mark was now on his own forearm integrated within the markings he had earned in combat, "Whoever does not possess it will die."

His tone was cold and matter of fact. His expression was incensed and she was reminded that the gentleness he had shown her was only one side of him. "Is that necessary?" She asked.

"I know you are naïve, love," he sighed, "But this is a time of war. Those that are not loyal to you could do you harm even if they are not loyal to the Usurper. You cannot afford to lose your crown and I cannot afford to lose you."

Bonnie was silent as she was not sure what he meant by the sentiment. If it was her power and influence that he was referring to or if it was simply her. Something told her that it was both.

He stepped toward her and took her face in his hands. "If you cannot trust me then trust your grandmother," he whispered, "Trust the spirits. They will not lead us astray."

Bonnie nodded, placing her hand over one of his. "In a way I trust you all," she answered.

His lips turned slightly upward in what could pass for a smile, he then kissed her on the forehead and a moment later he was gone.

Bonnie sat on the edge of the bed and wondered if this was what she wanted. The death, the violence, and the fight for the throne. They would be leaving the next day to travel the isles and build their army so they could prepare to cross the Bloody Sea and slowly but surely take back her land. But did she want to rule? She had barely been a princess and now she was a queen. What did that mean? She was not sure. She would soon have to figure it out, however.

Bonnie started at the sound of a familiar caw and yet though it was known to her it had been some time since she had heard it. She turned toward the sound and was shocked to find a phoenix sitting atop a small trunk on the window seat across the room its red feathers gleaming brightly as the sun coming in through the window reflected from them.

Slowly, cautiously she walked toward the bird as not to startle it. When she stood in front of it she reached out a hand and gently ran her finger tips down the feathers on its back. It made a sort of purring sound at her touch. "You _are_ real," she said, her voice full of awe.

But then the bird was gone, disappearing in a cloud of smoke and leaving only the small trunk and the piece of parchment atop it behind.

Bonnie picked up the parchment and unfolded it. It was a letter. A long letter. The words detailed witches being enslaved for their power, the suffering of mortals at the hands of the Usurper and his followers. The temples outside of Spirit's Haven that had been torn down. Bennett women that still lived but ran like fugitives fearing detainment and death.

With every word Bonnie's resolve seemed to strengthen. She could not let this stand. The choice was no longer hers. She could not let her people suffer because of her uncertainty, if this was truly her destiny then she would have to face it head on.

"In closing," the letter said, "I offer you this wedding gift and hope you receive it well. Know that those who are loyal to you will be awaiting your return, my queen. Ever yours, Emily, of House Bennett, Daughter of the Phoenix." Beneath the words there was a drawn image that looked exactly like the mark on Bonnie's forearm.

Setting the letter aside Bonnie reached for the small trunk and lifted the lid. Three gleaming eggs the color of bronze, speckled with red and yellow sat upon silk inside. Bonnie knew immediately what they were, phoenix eggs.

Bonnie was so absorbed in the gift that she barely noticed when Klaus returned to the room. "We have a problem," he said, drawing her attention.

"What is it?" Bonnie asked, turning toward him and shutting the lid to the trunk, "Can it be solved quickly? There is something I wish to show you."

"Everyone bears the mark," the alpha said carefully.

Bonnie's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Then where is the problem?" She asked.

"Everyone save for one person," he sighed, "The one that does not bear the mark is your mother."


	3. An Emergence of Dread

**Title:** A Ballad of Ashes and Embers

 **Rating:** M

 **Genre:** Alternate Universe/Alternate History

 **Pairing(s):** Bonnie/Klaus, Stefan/Emily, Elijah/Katherine, Katherine/Lucy, Elijah/Lucy, Lucy/Elijah/Katherine, Tyler/Elena, Rebekah/Kol, Rebekah/Damon, ect.

 **Summary:** Long ago, in a time forgotten, a scorned sorceress queen barters her daughter to win back her throne. The resulting marriage between the first known hybrid and the last of the most powerful bloodline of enchantresses ever in existence becomes the key to restoring the ways of old and bringing back the balance that his creation destroyed.

 **Klonnie Appreciation Week Theme:** Free For All (Day Seven)

 **Warnings:** Violence, Torture, Character Death, Sexual Content, Incest, OCC-ness, etc.

 **An Emergence of Dread**

" _Fear cuts deeper than swords."_

― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

 _ **The Werewolf Land and Isles, Lupos Palace**_

Bonnie Bennett-Mikaelson ran her hands over the small trunk that held her phoenix eggs and sighed. She still had not figured out what she would do about her mother. Her conscious would not let her kill her. A part of her was sure even now that the only reason that her mother was not loyal to her was because Abby Bennett had only ever been loyal to herself.

Bonnie had ordered the others to keep their marks covered and keep her mother in the dark and they had agreed without objection. They would begin traveling across the isles soon. Gathering solders before they crossed the Bloody Sea and took back Mystic Landing. They were holding off in order to receive a blessing from the wolf gods.

Bonnie had discovered that they had contacts on the mainland after showing her alpha the letter she had received. Apparently, though Mason Lockwood had been shunned from his house and his family, he still secretly communicated with his nephew Tyler. The boy had succumb to the curse himself and was kept locked in the dungeons of his home during the full moon.

He did not like having to hide and did not feel that he should be ashamed of what he was. He had written to Mason and had in turn learned of the alpha and his cause, and of the prophesy that involved Bonnie herself. Since then he had been keeping them informed and he had even helped to create a safe haven for witches on the mainland in a small bit of their territory that still remained untouched.

It was through him that Emily had discovered Bonnie's wedding and the beginning of what was to come taking place. He, Emily, and a refuge from House Salvatore would come to join them on Moon Island, the first they would visit, on the condition that they all bore the mark.

Mason had heard from Tyler that he and a few others that were duty bound to both House Lockwood and Donovan bore the mark. In fact the whole of House Donovan bore it, a fact that did not surprise Bonnie. The Donovan's were humans and it would only make sense for them to be loyal to her when the only other option would be loyalty to the very creatures that were diminishing the human population.

But Bonnie was not worried about those that were loyal, but rather those that were not. Her mother could not be trusted and she knew that eventually she would have to act.

Bonnie cleared her throat as the door to her bedroom opened and her husband walked inside. He seemed to be subdued. It had been clear that he did not agree with her choice to let her mother live but he had let his own feelings go out of respect for Bonnie.

"You are not ready for the ritual," Klaus said as he eyed her.

Bonnie looked down at the flowing blue dress that she was wearing. She was meant to be in wolf skin like the others. When one addressed the wolf gods, one dressed as a wolf. "Are you angry with me?" Bonnie asked.

The alpha frowned. "Of course not," he said, "There is still plenty of time. I will send the omegas in to dress you."

Bonnie shook her head. "Not about the ritual," she sighed, "About mother."

His expression closed again and he swallowed. "No," he told her after a moment, "I know more than anyone what it means to love your mother and fear her at the same time. But if she harms you in any way I will have to ignore your wishes and kill her myself. I cannot have you hurt."

"Because you cannot take back the throne without the rightful queen?" Bonnie laughed only half joking.

"I have had my own throne for some years now," he said, his expression hard, "I did not miss the mainland or even my family as I have created my own lands and my own family. I care nothing about the throne or the happenings of Mystic Landing outside of the suffering of the witches because it was witches that saved my life. It was witches that gave me something to live and fight for when they showed me your face. If that throne did not belong to you by right I would not give a damn about it. You are my wife, my mate, and have been even before we married. If someone harms you or takes something that belongs to you they must suffer and die. There are no other options."

"I see," Bonnie whispered, not really knowing what else to say. She had grown used to her mother's verbal abuse. To being unwanted. She did not know how to react to someone being of the opposite mind.

"I understand that this marriage was not your choice," he continued, "That I am not what you want. That even what I can offer you means nothing as it has only been a short while since you have learned of your destiny and accepted that you are the rightful heir to the throne. But you must understand that I have never walked a path and I have never made a choice, since I saw your face; that would not lead me directly to you. That you are all that I want and the only thing I expect in return is for you to believe that and to trust that. Do you understand?"

Bonnie swallowed and nodded. "I will not question your motives again," she said.

A stiff nod followed her words. "You have had your mother and only your mother nearly all of your life," he said, "I do not expect your obedience to her or your trust in her to waiver overnight. But remember, I bear not only the blessings of the spirits but your mark as well. She is the one that we know of in these lands who does not."

Bonnie was unable to argue with him, and did not want to. But as he seemed to have shut down, she was too afraid to agree with him as she was sure he would see it as an attempt to pacify him. Besides that she did not agree entirely. Though, the marriage had not been her choice he did not repulse her, which was what he seemed to think. He was the first man she had ever been with and the only man she would ever be with. The first to desire her and they would be connected on that basis alone. He seemed to see worth in her that she did not see in herself, and though she was not sure how to react to his apparent devotion, that did not mean it did not move her.

She did not know what how to articulate her feelings and so she silently watched him go.

 **:::**

 _ **Shadow Towers, House Petrova**_

Katerina Petrova stood staring out of the window in the servants quarters that had very little of a view outside of darkened alleyways and streets that smelled of food from vendors and urine.

She pretended as if she did not hear the sounds of her lover packing behind her. "I cannot believe that you would leave me here alone to rot in this place," she commented, as she ran her hands down her pink gown.

There was a sound of a huff behind her and then a bitter laugh that made her wince. "Poor little Katerina," Lucy sang, "Always the victim." She closed the rucksack she had packed and shouldered it. "Well excuse me, my lady, if I do not wish to subject myself to slavery and to ignore the war that is coming to reclaim the throne for my family because it will deprive you of my servitude and my tongue between your legs."

She turned then, eyes glaring. "It is more than that and you know it," she spat, "And I have never treated you as a slave."

"Perhaps not but you never stopped the others from doing so," Lucy shrugged, "Particularly your little doppelganger whom you claim to be superior to and yet your own selfishness matches hers as you would have me stay here and suffer rather than go free and find what remains of my family. A family that your last lover helped to slaughter."

Katerina winced at the mention of Elijah Mikaelson. He had been kind once and noble. But he had slaughtered witches because of loyalty to his father. He had put duty to the Usurper above her and what was right and good. Even in losing her, he would not waver.

When Katerina had taken up with Lucy it was meant to be a temporary arrangement. A way to stave off loneliness. She had seen her as someone she could use for her own wants and desires in the beginning. But things were different now.

"As if I would have you stay in this hell if it did not mean leaving me," Katerina hissed, "I love you, more than I have ever loved anyone outside of myself and you know that."

Lucy shook her head. "You know nothing of love, of giving, of selflessness," she sighed, "You who had Elijah turn you as soon as the Usurper took the throne so that you could survive the first war alive. And yet you refused his proposal because you had gotten what you wanted. You had your immortality even if you did not believe in his cause and in what you had become. And still he doesn't know the reason that you abandon him. You could have spoken to him. Got him to see reason. Got him to help so many of my kind but you left him and called him monster. You said he was not worth saving because you decided you wanted me instead. And now I am expected to turn my back on myself, my family, and my kind because you wish for me to stay here. Everything is and will always be about you and your feelings. Damn everyone else."  
"No matter what I say I cannot win with you," Katerina said, throwing up her hands, "You act as if everything is black and white. As if there is no gray. The only thing leading you to believe that there is a war coming is some cryptic message from Emily and whispers from the other side, that's it. If they are wrong-"

They both bore the mark of the phoenix, though Katerina seemed to forget, and that was all the answer that Lucy needed. "The spirits are never wrong," Lucy interrupted. The spirits had led them for centuries. There was no sense in doubting them now.

Katerina rolled her eyes at the surety in Lucy's tone. "If they are wrong," Katerina repeated, "Then you running will only lead to you being hunted down and killed. I _cannot_ lose you. Don't you understand?"

Lucy began to collect the weapons that she had stolen from the Petrova reserves. A few swords, daggers, and a crossbow. "I understand that you are afraid and you are letting that fear cripple you into inaction," Lucy said, "I will not get caught. I know my fate. I offered you a chance to come with me and assured you that you would be safe. But you refused. So all I have is myself now and that is all I need."

They had been together nearly fourteen years now. The supposed heir to the Bennett throne was now sixteen. Lucy had sustained her youthful appearance with magic. Katerina had never been with anyone as long as she had been with Lucy. She lived for the woman. Breathed for her. It had not been this way with Elijah. Or anyone else that she had loved. That was why she had offered to change Lucy long ago, but Lucy did not want to lose her powers and so she settled on a spell that would stop her from aging.

Lucy was even happier with her choice to remain human when she was told by the spirits of the rise of the last of the line. She had chosen to leave in search of her family right after. There had been and still was nothing that Katerina could do to stop her.

She grabbed Lucy's arm as the witch moved to walk around her. "At least allow me to help you escape."

Lucy shook her head. "Take care of yourself," she told her, "Be sure to hide the mark that you bare on your forearm. If you are found to be loyal to my queen then you will die." She did not understand how Katerina could bear the mark of the trusted and still not fight for their cause. "I don't need any help," she sighed. Katerina would spend the entire time trying to persuade Lucy to stay she knew. It was best that she cut ties and let things end there. It was hard for her. Harder than she would ever let on but Lucy was a Bennett. She was strength. She was determination. She was fortitude. She was phoenix. She was flame. She would do what was right and staying in enslavement while her family fought for their throne and her freedom was not it.

"Well then," Katerina tried again, "Would you at least write to me when you get to wherever you are going. Let me know that you still live."

"You will know that I live when my queen takes back Mystic Landing and you hear of me and what remains of my family advising her on the throne," she said and she pulled her arm away. She turned a moment and Katerina moved to speak but was silenced as Lucy leaned down and pressed her lips against hers. "Goodbye," she whispered and then she was gone.

 **:::**

 _ **The Werewolf Land and Isles, Lupos Palace**_

After the ritual was complete Bonnie sat next to Atticus Shane as the others begin to ready themselves for the trip to Moon Island. Bonnie was still avoiding her mother and she still had not managed to find a way to approach Niklaus after their conversation prior.

There were things that she was uncertain about. Things that she wanted to know about the mainland. Shane was the closest connection she had to the land where she had come from. It had been years since either her husband or his delta had been away from the Werewolf Land and Isles. Shane did not have such a major degree of separation.

She glanced over at Shane and frowned. "Could you tell Ser Shane," she whispered, "My people…what is like for them on the mainland?"

He sighed as he looked up into the night. "Things are bleak," he revealed, "They are enslaved. Mind and body. Forced to abuse their powers in many way. They live in poverty. But they are strong. They find hope in the old ways. They find hope in you, my queen." He turned to her, his face and eyes serious. "Even before she died," he whispered, "My wife believed that you would save them all. Until the bitter end. You are the key to everything, beta. Everyone who suffers at the hands of the usurper; witch, vampire, and human alike will look to you."

Bonnie swallowed, feeling a huge weight now on her shoulders. "What if I'm not good enough?" she frowned, "What if I'm not strong enough? I know nothing of ruling. I am still even after all of this time a novice in terms of my power. What if I cannot bring what has been foretold to light?"

She was afraid. Afraid that everyone was wrong and that her mother was right. Afraid that she was worthless. Afraid of failing. Afraid of succeeding. Afraid of the responsibility she would have to take on if she were to take back her birthright. But she could not do nothing. There were too many lives at stake. She would have to put her own feelings aside. She would have to fight through her own discomfort and insecurities and push forward.

"You will be," Shane said and he sounded certain, unflinchingly sure, "You are. You could bring the people of all lands to their knees on your own but you will not be alone. Not in this. Not ever again." He held out his arm and displayed the phoenix feather on the inside of it. "Those loyal to you will live and die by your side," he stated.

Bonnie frowned and stood. Everyone was saying that but it was hard for her to believe them. "Thank you for your words of faith," she said just the same. As Shane stood as well, Bonnie saw something in his eyes that made her uncomfortable. "I must return to my husband," she said, quietly.

At his nod she walked away, aware of his eyes on her as she went.

 **:::**

 _ **The Old Witch Lands, Travelers Way**_

Emily Bennett stopped in the middle of a clearing in the forest a long way away from Crow's Arc. It was the first time they had stopped in some time. Stefan stood beside her and Emily sighed as she noted his nervous expression. The spell would have to be performed here. In the land of the Travelers they would be protected.

They would have to do the spell before they reached Moon Island. Stefan would not receive a warm reception of any sort if they did not.

"I meant what I said before Emily," Stefan said, his face firm and his tone serious, "If after the spell is performed I do not bare the mark I want you to kill me."

They had discovered after Stefan began having strange dreams that there were witches in the Salvatore bloodline. One in particular that had been the lover and close companion of their mother goddess Qetsiyah when she walked upon the land before she became goddess of the Other Side. They had further more found out that once Stefan had been turned he had been unable to access the powers that he was supposed to possess. The spell along with the elixir in the vile in Emily's satchel would restore him to his human form and restore what was loss to him.

Prior to their departure from Crow's Arc the two had become something close to lovers. But Stefan refused to lay with her until she was certain that he could be trusted. He was unlike his brother in that respect as well as in many others.

Emily had been made to share Damon's bed while she was under the servitude of the Salvatore household. It had not been by force exactly but she had been left with little real choice in the matter. Threats and manipulation left very little room for argument when one was virtually a slave.

The most disturbing part of the exchange was the fact that Emily was certain that Damon actually had genuine feelings toward her. He often had begged her not to leave him. Often spoke to her in soft words of devotion and adoration when they were together. However, the sentiments seemed empty given his actions and only strengthened Emily's wish to see the Salvatore dead.

Stefan was different. He treated her like a human being. He defended her against his family. He helped her with the household chores. His guilt often haunted him over the dethronement of her family. He never asked her for anything and gave her anything that she asked of him. It was because of him that she had managed to survive life on their estate for as long as she had. He had been her strength as she had awaited the emergence of her queen.

Even still however, the spirits did not see Stefan as fit to be trusted. He unlike Emily, did not bare the phoenix feather mark of those loyal to the Bennett line. Emily knew why that was the case and so she was certain that once he was human it would appear.

Vampirism effected Stefan more profoundly than most. He was often plagued with the thirst and blinded when he partook in too much blood. Blood was his sustenance so he could not stay away from it but at the same time it was his weakness. When he binged he became a different being altogether. He was merciless, monstrous, and unable to be controlled. As long as he was a vampire, even with the times in between where he dried himself out and fed from animals, that part of him was at risk of taking hold. And that risk was not one that the spirits were willing to take.

"It will not come to that," Emily said, as she began to draw a pentagram on the earth with a stick, "Everything will come to right when this has been done. You will see." She tossed the stick aside and motioned for Stefan to stand in the middle of it. Taking off his cloak he took his place at the center of the pentagram. "I know you heart," she whispered, reaching a hand out and touching his chest, "And it is good."

She handed him the vial with the elixir and nodded for him to drink. When the bottle had been downed, she stepped out of the pentagram and said the incantation. She watched as flames consumed Stefan's body. She winced through his screams and told herself that it was a necessary evil.

After a moment the flames died down and Stefan laid unconscious and naked in a pile of ashes. Emily retrieved his cloak and placed it over his body. She lifted his hand and smiled as the phoenix feather that shown brightly against his skin.

She took Stefan's face in her hands as his eyes blinked open. "How are you feeling?" Emily asked.

Stefan smiled as his eyes landed on her. "The thirst," he said, "It's gone." He tried and failed to get his fangs to surface. He was well and truly human again. "I can feel my power, Emily," he grinned, "I can feel it."

"Look at your arm, my love," she responded.

He looked at his arm and found the mark of those loyal to the Bennett cause. "You were right," he said, leaning up and kissing her lips, "You always are."

"It is time that you realized it," she said, "Now we will set up camp. The magic on these grounds will keep us safe. Lucy will be here tonight. Tomorrow when Lockwood and Donovan arrive we will begin our journey to Moon Island to join our queen."

:::

 _ **The Werewolf Land and Isles, Lupos Palace**_

Even as he sat in the room that he shared with his wife on the bed that they had shared the night before, Niklaus felt separate from her. He was not worthy of her and he would never be no matter how hard her tried but he was try until the day that he stopped breathing.

He had wanted her acceptance more than he had ever wanted anything. Rejection was all that he had ever known outside of the wolves and the spirits who protected him. His family had shunned him. But he had thought that would be able to create a new family. The spirits had shown him what would one day be his and he had found a reason to keep going. To thrive and lead the wolves.

But he had to remember that while he had always wanted Bonnie, there had never been a moment before or after they had wed that she had wanted him. Her choice had been taken from her and he could not blame her for being reluctant. He was after all an abomination. His mother was after all the wife of the Usurper that had taken her throne. She had every reason to hate him.

He was afraid that she would leave him. That she would choose to run and create her own army. It was possible. She had followers. Those who were loyal to her and the old ways. She could even take the wolves from him now. He was their leader but she was their queen. Theirs to love, shelter, and protect. She did not need him. Not truly. It was he that needed her.

Klaus looked up as the door to the bedroom opened and smiled as Bonnie walked inside. She had changed since the ritual. She was now wearing a dress of blue silk. It flowed down to the floor hanging from her frame. It was her mother's doing Klaus knew.

He had heard from Hayley that Bonnie had liked the wolf skin dress. She had approached her about being outfitted like the others all the time, in lines and animal skins. She had wanted to show that she was of the people. But her mother had said that she must always be elevated. Separate. Klaus knew that the woman would continue to be a problem and while he wanted her dead and soon he would abide by Bonnie's wishes.

Bonnie stopped in front of him and pulled the sword she had been given as a wedding gift from behind her back. "I talked to Shane," she said, slowly, "About the people. My people. They need me. It is time that I stopped being afraid." She held out the sword to him. "This sword," she said, "I would like to learn how to use it."

Klaus didn't bother hide his pride as he nodded. It would seem she was gaining her strength and that she would need him for something after all. "And so you shall, my love," he said, "So you shall."

 **:::**

 _ **Crow's Arc, The Castle of House Salvatore**_

Rebekah Mikaelson frowned as she listened to the sound of Damon Salvatore pacing in the next room over. Her father had chosen to ignore the sign of the Bennett reign reemerging. And even though Rebekah could very clearly sense their growing fear majority of the Salvatore household chose to follow her father's lead and so had her mother and Finn and Elijah. She and Kol were smarter. They took the omen seriously. Damon was upset as well but it was not the threat of war that had him on a rampage but the absence of his brother and Emily Bennett.

He had made a nice show of smiling and being accommodating as he had shown her family to their rooms but after he had broken down. He had been muttering to himself for hours. He had been talking to himself about how he could retrieve his brother. How he could persuade the witch to come back to him. He would go after them or so he claimed. Hunt them down and lock them up so that they would never try and leave again.

Him mourning his brother Rebekah could understand. They're relationship was a close one. They were best friends and comrades. They thrived off the existence of the other. Her own brothers had born witness to it during the first war. However, he could not understand his mourning the loss of Emily Bennett.

While she understood love. She had seen it and respected it. It was clear from his words that Damon was not in love with the witch but rather obsessed with her. And clearly if she had run then she had not returned his feelings of ardor.

She stopped eavesdropping on Damon's ranting as she felt Kol's presence behind her. "You should be happier," he said, as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder, "I highly doubt you will have to perform any wifely duties even if the marriage does take place. His heart lies elsewhere."

"What he feels for the witch has nothing to do with the heart," Rebekah frowned, as she leaned back into the embrace, "it has to do with lust and fixation. There is no love there."

"And you know love?" Kol asked, his tone teasing. He smiled as she nodded and placed her hands over his own. "I know the others are choosing to ignore the warning and the phoenix siting," he whispered, lowly into her ear, "But I will not. When the time comes we will run. If at the end of this war you and I are all that remains of our house and our family then so be it."

"As far as I'm concerned," Rebekah murmured in answer, "We are already all that remains."

 **:::**

 _ **The Werewolf Land and Isles, Moon Island**_

Bonnie walked across the black sand of the beach on Moon Island. She was heading in the direction of the others after leaving the ornate tent that she would be sharing with her husband. The journey had gone well and they had set up came on the shoreline so that they could see the others as they sailed in over the next few days.

Her mother was still unaware of the others of their line that would arrive to join them. Still unaware of the marks and Bonnie's destiny on the throne. It was too soon for her to discover the real truth. Her mother was too volatile and Bonnie's emerging strength was too fresh.

Besides, tonight was not the night for confrontations. It was a night to celebrate their first successful journey. The lupos had created a bonfire on the beach and there was feasting, sparring, fucking, and dancing.

Bonnie smiled as she felt Hayley's arm loop through hers. While they were drunkenly celebrating the omegas still served but after a certain point where jubilation and inebriation took hold; they were all pretty much equal.

"You should dance for the alpha," Hayley whispered into her ear, "You said that you wanted to show him that you are no immune to his affections. It would be as good a way as any."

Bonnie ran her hand over her attire. It was a layered fringed dress made out of white snake skin. It was much like the dress that Hayley and the other women wore though the animal skins and the lay varied. Her feet were bare and the dress exposed her legs. The halter neck exposed her back as well and Bonnie felt almost naked. Underneath the dress she was. The only reason that she had agreed to the dress was because when she had put it on Hayley had told her that she looked like one of the lupos. That was what she wanted. These were her people now just as much as the witches on the main lands were.

"I cannot dance as you dance," Bonnie sighed, "The dress will be enough." She had seen the other women dancing. Moving with their whole bodies. Arms waving. Backs arching. Hips gyrating. There movements were sensual and unrehearsed. Bonnie's mother had always raised her to be poised and collected. To be in control of her body at all times. She didn't think her body was capable of such free movement.

"I can teach you," Hayley said, undeterred by her reluctance, "Come."

Bonnie allowed herself to be pulled forward. She looked around her and smiled at Niklaus as she caught sight of him sitting and chatting with Mason next to the fire. He gave her a stiff nod. She was not surprise. This was his alpha face, his face for the people. He never softened unless they were alone.

Bonnie hesitated as she saw her mother standing off to the side near Jonas. She was looking at the lupos in disdain her body stiff. She was clearly looking down at the people that she would have fight her battles. Bonnie frowned. Her mother wanted to think that she was above these people but Bonnie had found more kindness, grace, loyalty, and welcome among them than she had seen her mother show to anyone in her entire life.

Bonnie nodded to herself as she remembered the alpha's words at the feast after their wedding. Refusing to allow herself to be intimidated by her mother's attitude. She let herself be led through the sea of gyrating bodies and began to follow the motions as Hayley's hands guided her hips.

She closed her eyes and allowed herself to move to the rhythm of the thundering drum of the music. For a moment she was able to let herself go and she felt more freedom than she had in all of her life. When her eyes opened they fell on her husband. His eyes were yellow and hungry but he did not seem angry. They were full of something else. Before Bonnie could assess it she was grabbed by her arm violently.

She was not surprised when she was turned to face her mother. She opened her mouth to speak but Abby immediately began to drag her back in the direction of her ten. Out of the corner of her eye Bonnie saw Niklaus stand to follow and his eyes were lethal.

As they reached the tent Bonnie scowled. She did not want Abby in a space the she and Niklaus were meant to share. As apprehensive as she had been about the marriage she preferred her husband's company to that of her mother's. When she was with him she was at peace and she did not want Abby to infiltrate that.

Abby lifted the tent's flap and threw Bonnie to the floor that had been covered in blankets and furs. Bonnie turned and glared up at her.

"How dare you," Abby yelled, railing on her, "You are an embarrassment. Lowering yourself to level of those people. You are to be a daughter of a queen. You are above these animals. Act like it."

Bonnie stood to her feet and laughed. She had had enough. "The daughter of a queen," she sighed, "Mother there is already a queen here and it is not you." Abby lifted her hand to strike but stopped as Bonnie closed her fist her powers cutting off her mother's airway. "This is my land," Bonnie said, "These are not animals…they are my people. They are loyal to my husband. They are loyal to me. I am their queen and you are _nothing_ but my mother."

Abby fell to her knees holding her throat. She gasped for air as Niklaus entered the tent. He looked at Bonnie, silently asking for permission to end her mother's life then and there. However, Bonnie shook her head. She would give the woman one more chance. One more chance to learn her place because Bonnie was beginning to understand her own and it was not below Abby. Not at all.

"The next time you raise your hand to me remember this," Bonnie said, kneeling to whisper into her mother's ear, "One word, one gesture, one wave of the hand, or one nod of the head. That is all it would take and I could have your head on platter. These people. This army that you so wanted. They would kill you if I asked because it is eye who is the wife of their king and not you. I who am both wolf and phoenix. And I promise you this…if I hear you insult them again then I will save them the trouble of doing my bidding and kill you myself."

Bonnie released her and Abby breathed in deeply. She stood and glared between Bonnie and Klaus. "I do not know what this mutt is filling your head with little girl but you will regret this," she said, "You may think you have the power now but we will see who the true queen is when we cross the Bloody Sea."

Bonnie blinked at her. Her face was impassive. Abby frowned and attempted to hide her trepidation. Bonnie had always feared her. Admired her. Followed orders. The girl was not afraid anymore.

Bonnie walked around her mother and took her husband's hand. "I would like to dance again for you," she said, and he smiled. She glanced back at her mother. For the first time she saw weakness and she began to wondered what had made her fear the woman for so long in the first place. "Tread lightly, mother," she said gravely, "You have been warned." Abby glared but said nothing. "Enjoy the festivities," Bonnie smiled, "And be gone when we come. This tent was meant for royalty. I'm sure you will find more suitable accommodations down the beach a little ways."

Bonnie turned and left he tent without another word. As she looked up at Klaus there was pride in his eyes and in that moment she felt worthy of it.

 **:::**

 _ **The Old Witch Lands, Traveler's Way**_

Lucy Bennett frowned as she heard a noise behind her. She had felt for some time as if she were being followed. It was the reason she had not gone straight to Emily's camp.

"Show yourself," she said as her hand found her sword. She would only use her powers if necessary. There was magic in the grounds that protected her where she was and so she doubted it would come to that.

She braced herself for a confrontation as a lone cloaked figure never stepped out from the cover of the trees. She frowned as she recognized the person and her hand left her sword just as the woman pulled down the hood to her cloak. "Katerina," she greeted.

She was wearing all black. Even her hair had even gone from brown to black. She carried a rucksack on her back and her dress was modest, not the normal embellished dress that normally adorned those of her house. "I have deflected from my house," she said, "Left my home to follow you and your cause. I am not longer a Petrova and so I cannot bear the name I was given by them either. From this day forward my name is Katherine Pierce bastard daughter of no one from a house with no name."

Lucy swallowed. She had not expected to see her ever again. She was sure that their last goodbye would indeed be their last. But the woman was too selfish to have left without a motive other than herself Lucy knew. "They found your mark didn't then?" Lucy accused, "And you didn't have any choice but to run?"  
Katherine rolled her eyes. "You really are too paranoid for any ones good, darling," she sighed, "Even if they found the mark they would not know what it means. The witches are keeping their mouths shut about most things regarding our queen and those of house Petrova believe she is a myth just the same. They will not take this war seriously until the usurper says that they should."

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "Our queen?" she laughed, "Why are you here?"

Katherine threw up her hands in the air. "Because I love you, you wretched shrew," she spat, "I kept thinking that there was a chance that you would die doubting my feelings and I could not allow that to happen."

Finally Lucy allowed herself to smile. "No one is going to die," she said, ignoring the scoffing sound her love made at the sentiment, "And I'm glad that you're here."

"Then act like it," Katherine sighed as she came up to stand beside her.

Lucy took her hand and nodded. "I love you, too," she said. Turning onto the pathway ahead, Lucy guided her in the direction of Emily's camp site. A called heard up above caught their attention and Lucy smiled as she saw Emily's phoenix, Blaze flying up ahead.

"Is that…?" Katherine trailed.

Lucy grinned. "It is and if it has returned then that means it has found the queen and delivered Emily's message," she said. She turned to Katherine and raised a brow. "Do you believe me now?"

"I am beginning too," was her answer.

:::

 _ **The Werewolf Land and Isles, Moon Island**_

Niklaus sat amongst the furs that lined the ground of the tent that he shared with his wife. She had handled her mother for the moment but he knew the woman would remain a problem. He listened as Bonnie walked into the tent and sat down behind him placing her hands on his shoulders.

"If she causes you harm again then she dies," he stated. She could argue if she wished but he would not let up this time.

Bonnie wrapped her arms around his middle and laid her head on the back of his shoulder. "If she does I will not only allow you to kill her," she whispered, "I will happily watch."

"What change of heart you have," he said. He turned his head slightly so that he could see her face. Her expression was hard. Serious.

"My whole life I had been made to feel as if I was not good enough," Bonnie whispered, "As if I were no more than a pawn. I had a home with Jonas and his children but even that was ripped from me due to this marriage. Now I have to fulfill a destiny that I did not know what I had and I have all of these lives in my hands. I cannot…I will not let them down simply to appease my mother."

Klaus frowned and nodded. "I know that this marriage is not what you want," he sighed, "But I found a home with the wolves in the same way you did with Master Martin. I had a destiny that I had to fulfill as well, at that was you. You may fear your destiny but my destiny at your side became my hope. You became my hope. And you are the hope of those people on the main lands that now suffer. I may not be worthy of you but…there is no one who believes in you more than I. I will not rest until the usurper is killed and you reach the greatness that I have seen."

He was sure that his declarations would be met with the same befuddled expression that she held each time words of devotion left his mouth but this time she smiled. "You sell yourself too short, my love," she said, smiling wider at his shock at the term of endearment, "I feared you before and I was indifferent but now…Your people are loyal and I want to be of them. I want to take them as my family as well. As for you…I understand now why you were chosen for me. Why it had to be you."

She paused and stood. She walked around him until they were face to face and then knelt down in front on him. He eyed her as she took his face in her hands. "I was weak," she whispered, "I allowed myself to be belittled and controlled because I knew no other way. But then you…saw something in me before we met. The night at the wedding when you told me not to let my mother intimidate me I felt the beginning of something. Since then you have been so patient with me, so devoted. Before when you said that I would be great I did not understand but now I am beginning to believe you. You say that you are unworthy of me but I…I did not feel worthy of anything until I saw your devotion to me. If I am your hope Niklaus, then you are my strength. Do you understand?"

Klaus smiled softly and his expression became so gentle she almost thought that she was looking at someone else and not her husband. "I understand," he nodded.

Bonnie leaned forward and kissed his lips. It was the first kiss that she had initiated since they had wed.

 _ **End Notes: Upon rereading I really enjoyed this one. Hopefully you enjoyed it as well. There are more reposts to come. The longer the fic was initially the longer it will likely take for me to put it back up so bear with me. Thanks for reading.**_


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